The Power of Valor
by kidstandout
Summary: AU Oneshot. Karen reconnects with an old friend


{Kent Family farm, Smallville}

It was clear and sunny day as Kal and Diana sat on a pokadot blanket with their children under the shade of an oak tree. Today's weather had the ideal conditions for a family picnic out on the Kent family fields in Smallville.

Diana was tending to the hungry tummy of her three year old daughter Lara, while her 13 year old son Conner aided his father man the grill. It was hard to believe Lex Luthor was involved in the creation of a blessing, but this did not stunt her love for the child. She loved Conner the same way her mother loved her, his conception didn't matter.

Things were quiet until a blond teenager landed in their area with a white canine.

"Auntie Linda, you're back" Lara yells as she runs to embrace her.

"And you brought Krypto too" Conner notices.

"Linda, it's good to see you, how is your sister" Diana asks.

"Knees deep in paper work at the company, she said she'll try and swing by later with that gallon of strawberry ice-cream she owes you" Linda responds.

"That sounds like Karen" Kal spoke.

"So how goes it cousin, is the food almost ready" Linda asks.

"Not yet, Conner blew up one of the grill tanks by accident, which set us an hour or two" Kal informed her.

"Not my fault" Conner complained.

"We should be done soon" Kal finished.

[Starr labs, New York facility]

Things seemed quiet in the halls of the re-branded Star labs, now a subset of Starr enterprises thanks to a not so hostile takeover executed by none other than Karen Starr. She decided to investigate this particular facility after documents she looked into suggested some secret project of interest to her. Head researcher Silas Stone was tasked with escorting the young CEO to the underground sector containing the project in question.

"The Elevator to the lower sector is located this way Ms. Starr."

"Thank You Mr. Stone. If everything checks out, I'll be out of your hair before you know."

"It's no hassle, I could use a trip outside my lab, and God knows my son feels the same way."

Once they were inside the underground laboratory, Kara quickly scanned the contents of her environment. There were several vats containing foreign creatures she had not encountered before.

As they ventured further in, she passed an experimental weapons vault, which Karen made a mental note to do an inventory check later.

Suddenly Karen came to her desired location, a room with a steel door that seemed heavily reinforced. Mr. Stone Activated the containment release port, causing the door creek open. Resting inside the room was a Male kryptonian of dark skin, most likely originating from the isle of vathlo. But that was not the most shocking thing she noticed, the male donned a silver symbol of the house of el on his blue bodysuit. Karen blinked with shock, she knew who this was.

"Val?"

[The fortress of solitude, Antarctica, the next day]

Powergirl stood before the newly discovered Val-Zod with an unreadable expression as she examined him.

Superman agreed to keep him at the fortress to guarantee he was in a safe location. It wasn't easy getting him here, as he had a moderate phobia of being in open spaces. That and Powergirl had to carry him since he couldn't fly yet.

The man of steel was happy at the prospect of another kryptonian, at least until he discovered said person is Zod's son. Karen noticed this and the two of them agreed to ask him some questions, just to make Kal more comfortable.

"So start from the top." Superman says.

"What" asked a puzzled Val Zod.

"Tell him your story" Powergirl clarified.

"My mother raised me and told me stories about my father, about how he was a great scientist with an affinity for life and a strict will to reject conflict. Unfortunately he passed while I was young, so she and her new husband made it their duty to raise me in the same vein until they also passed away. I was taken in by Zor el and his wife, and in krypton's final hour, they saw to it that I would escape the planet's demise on the agreement that I look out for daughters. The last thing I remember was Zor el bringing me to his brother's home and being placed in one of four rockets, the last of which containing an infant boy with black hair".

"That would be me, Kale-El. Zor El was my uncle and his brother was my father, Jor-el". Superman informed him.

"Ever since I landed here, I've spent my adolescence in star labs, convinced I had no way of finding the other survivors. The scientist's here told me they would inform me if they saw something, now I see that was a lie."

"There's something else I have to tell you this may be hard to digest, which is why I prepped this video" Superman says..

Suddenly a monitor ejects from one of the walls. What it displayed was hard to watch for Val. It showed video feeds of a kryptonian in all black with the symbol of the house of Zod attacking Kal el. The encounters left collateral damage everywhere, tons of people were caught in cross fire of these. What scared Val the most was the man's face, which had a long battle scar over one of his eyes.

"Your father is not only alive but a dangerous war criminal escapee from the phantom zone and former head of the kryptonian military. He has come here in the past seeking to conquer this world in the hopes of remaking krypton in his own image. I tell you this not just out of my own experience, but because you have a right to know the truth".

"I don't understand, my mom told me he was a pacifist, an advocate of peace. Are you telling me she was lying" Val begrudgingly replies.

"Kal could you give us a minute" Powergirl asks.

Superman hesitantly nodded as he left the room, leaving Karen alone to analyze Val as he stared angrily against the wall.

"What? I can feel you staring" He asked.

"Nothing, it's just all this time I thought you didn't make it"

"After what I just found out I almost wish I hadn't"

"Don't say that."

Hearing the grave tone of her voice, Val looked over and noticed she was giving him a stern look, but he did not falter

"I'm serious; I just found out that my life is one big lie."

Suddenly Karen took hold of his hand

"That's not true, not everything about your life is a lie."

Val then remembered the last time she held his hand back on krypton when they were kids. Some of the other kids were picking on him for his refusal to fight like the other boys. He remembered how she fought them off after they knock him down and offered him a hand.

"I once lost someone I cared about, and there was no chance of getting him back. I was in a dark place, but I had people that were there for me to help get through it and so do you. Just know that we… I'm here for you".

Val's bottled up emotions then escaped in the form of tears as Powergirl embraced him in a hug. It seems ironic that Kara was doing what her parents had sent him to do for her.

[Starr residence, queens NY]

"Wake up fresh meat, we have a long day ahead of us" Karen ordered.

"But it's a Saturday" Linda complained.

"Evil never sleeps little sis. Besides, you're not the only student enrolling in my one and only hero boot camp, we have another krypty in our ranks."

Suddenly Linda was out of her bed and hovering over Karen in her pj's.

"Really? Who is it?"

"Get ready and you can meet him downstairs."

Karen had a long day ahead of her. Not only was she supposed to train her little sister to become the next supergirl, her former hero alias, but she also has to train Val as per Kal's conditions.

After showering and putting on a white tee and a blue mini skirt, Linda walked downstairs and into the kitchen, there she was greeted by the site of her big sis preparing coffee as a Black male with a grey hoodie and jeans sat at the table eating toast.

"Morning sis, hello there mr…" Linda says.

"Hello, you must be Lin Zor El. You've really grown into a mirror reflection of your mother, just like your sister".

"How does he know my name? And how does he know what mom looks like."

"Linda this is Val, you probably don't remember him since you were a baby but he's a friend of mine. Mom and dad helped him escape krypton just like us. Today, he's going to join you in the training I have planned. Hurry up eat, we head to my office in Manhattan in 30 minutes." Karen informed her.

{Starr industries company building, Manhattan NY}

Inside Karen's private training facility, Linda had put on her sisters former supergirl costume. She was very eager to live up to her sister's reputation by proving her worth today. Val however, did not look to be as enthused. While the flowing white cape covering his blue and silver costume screamed confidence, his face looked hesitant and unwilling.

Karen entered the facility in her powergirl costume; she was intent on making these two capable heroes.

"Okay, since you two have figured out some of your powers and not others, we'll just go over everything to get both of you up to speed. Let's start with flight; show me how high you can get off the ground" Karen demands.

For Linda, this was an easy task as she had been flying for a couple years. Val however didn't have that luxury. While Linda was able to touch the ceiling 50 feet above the floor, Val struggled to maintain a couple feet above ground.

"Flying is hard" Val complained.

"Perhaps you need some training wheels."

Powergirl came over and lifted him up from behind. It seemed like Val was a bit timid when it came too maintaining altitude.

"Let's try this now, I'm going to let you go and I want you stay at this level" Karen instructed him.

"I'm not sure I can" Val replies.

"You got this, just believe in yourself" Karen responds.

As she lets him go, Val descends a little but manages to stay airborne. Feeling confident with his accomplishment, Val decides to fly around.

"Hey, I think I'm getting the hang of this" Val yells.

"It's about time" Linda comments.

"Keep it up…. Wait watch out".

Val had managed to propel himself forward, but when it came time to redirect himself to avoid the wall, his flight became sporadic an unstable, causing him to crash into powergirl.

The two heroes's then crashed into the ground, leaving a small but noticeable crater in the ground. Supergirl couldn't help but snicker as she gazed at the awkward position the two young adults laid on top of each other on the ground.

Before she could capitalize on the opportunity, Linda's phone buzzed.

"Just got a text, Diana needs me to take Conner and Lara to the mall, may I be dismissed captain coordination."

Karen groaned as Linda flew out the door, she really wish Kal had just trained Val himself. Curse his responsibilities; she had stuff to do too.

"Uh Kara, you can get up now."

It was then Karen realized she was laying on top of him in a rather comical manner, with their chests pressed together. It would seem his recent exposure to sun light expanded his mass quite a bit, as she could feel his rock hard chest with her palms.

"Oh um… yeah."

Thankfully, he was looking away because her face exploded with a crimson blush.

The next hour progresses well, Val manages to learn how to do the basics like laser vision, ice breath and super strength. So Karen decide to give him one advance technique and call it a day.

"Okay, so the last thing we're going to try is X-ray vision. We can use our eyes to see past objects or layers to varying rates. There's a dummy behind this board I placed over here, I want you to try and focus in on the dummy" She instructs him.

Val stares at the board intently, after several minutes of squinting nothing happened.

"Um Kara, I don't think i can do this oh my Rao!"

As he turned his head to look at Powergirl to voice his frustration with the task, but Val was suddenly greeted to a sight most men would die for. Powergirl's clothes were no longer visible.

"Val what's wrong?"

"Nothing, let's just take a break" He said while covering his eyes

[Kent family house, Smallville]

The Kent family were having dinner when there was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it" Diana says.

"No, it's okay, I know who it is Aunt Diana" Linda says.

"Linda we discussed this, no x-ray peaking with visitors" Kal deadpans.

As Linda swings the door open, Karen and Val enter the household in street attire. Karen was wearing her business jacket over her white blouse and had a matching grey work skirt. Val was more casual, having a red t shirt with jeans.

"Karen, how nice of you to join us. And not only have you brought the ice scream you owe me, but I see you brought company". Diana announces

"Everyone meet my friend Val, You've met Kal and Linda, this is Kal's wife Diana, their son Conner, and their daughter Lara." Karen says

"Hey Everyone, I'm happy to meet you all" Val responds.

"Take a seat Val. Conner prepare a placemat, Karen help me out in the kitchen real quick" Diana Instructs.

Karen follows her into the kitchen where she places the strawberry ice cream in the fridge.

"So tell me, how has his training going? Linda told me you ran into some difficulties."

"There were some hurdles at first, but he's progressing."

"If you need any help, I'm always willing to some suggestions."

"Thanks, if things get tricky we can always try some old school amazon training. But I think I got this, if anything it helps that I'm his trainer".

"Oh really."

Suddenly Diana gives her a look that says 'tell me more'.

"You know what I meant. He's just a friend."

"I've been away from paradise island long enough to know when a woman says that, they never mean it. Look, I know it's been a while since… Ted."

"Diana don't."

"I'm just saying, I've noticed how happy you seemed when you walked in here and I'm willing to wager he's the source."

"You're so lucky I haven't taught him about super hearing."

"Just keep your options open okay."

As she and Diana walked back into the dining room, Val was being licked to death by krypto has the whole room erupted in laughter. He looked at Karen with a face that says 'save me' but she did not intervene as she joined in on the laughs.

Karen needed this, she was glad to around family. She had been so busy with the company she forgot how much she loved these occasions. Seeing Val again most of reminded her of that, another reason she was glad he was around.

"Maybe Diana is right…."


End file.
